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Junior Folks at 

Mission Study 

— China 



A Symposium 

Written by Missionaries 

in China 



Emma Horning 

Anna'^Seese 

Grace Clapper 

F. H. Crumpacker 



General Mission Board 

Church of the Brethren 
Elgin, Illinois 



FOREWORD jfi C ^ T - 

Four China Missionaries have written chapters 
for this book. To the Juniors of America they tell 
the simple story of the great country in which they 
work. Leaders of Juniors will rejoice in this little 
book, which so well fills the great need for study 
classes. China is an old country — so old that in 
comparison with America she seems like a great- 
grandmother. Because of her age these pages can- 
not begin to tell half of her story. For that reason 
Juniors will need to study other books. These pages 
should serve as a beginning but not as an end of 
your interest in China. Other books will tell you 
more concerning the people on the other side of the 
globe. The term Junior as used in the title of this 
book is inclusive of all ages up to the adult. 

H. S. M. 



Copyright, 1921 

by 

General Mission Board 
Elgin, Illinois 



MAR 10 1921 
CI.A608826 



<J~ 



Contents 

Chapter Page 

I. When Christ First Came to China, 5 

II. Confucius, 15 

III. Some Marks of China's Civilization, 21 

IV. Chinese Customs and Religions, 31 

V. " Beacon Lights " of Modern China, 41 

VI. The Development of the Church of the Breth- 
ren Mission, China, 53 



CHAPTER I 

When Christ First Came to China 

Emma Horning 

Nestorian Christianity in China, 635 A. D. 

A travel-worn caravan crept slowly over the dusty 
road of the great mountains, leaving the setting sun 
behind them, six hundred years after Jesus had com- 
manded his disciples to " go into all the world." It 
was nearing the world-famous western capital of 
China, now Hsi An Fu. This was no common cara- 
van, for it was bearing a very precious treasure from 
the Far West as a gift for the great emperor, Tai 
Tsun. As it neared the city, the prime minister him- 
self, dressed in his royal robes, bearing the imperial 
scepter, surrounded by a retinue of officers, came out 
to meet the caravan and escort it to the palace. Soon 
the tired camels knelt before the royal entrance and 
the weary travelers passed through the magnificent 
gate and became the guests of the emperor, who wel- 
comed scholars and princes from all the nations of 
the earth. In the morning, Alapun, the leader, sur- 
rounded by his monks, all with shaved heads and long 
beards, came before the throne to present their gift 
and give their message. Alapun told the emperor that 
the fame of his glorious court, his generous deeds and 

5 



6 Junior Folks at 

his thirst for truth had spread even to their far-off 
land of Persia. He said the Ruler of heaven had 
given the western land a great treasure, not to keep, 
but to give to the whole world ; therefore he had great 
pleasure in bringing to the worthy emperor this mes- 
sage from heaven, which would bring peace and joy 
to his whole empire. He then presented the Holy 
Scriptures. The emperor took the Books to his private 
apartments and studied them thoroughly. He was so 
pleased with the teaching that he had them translated 
and placed in his large library. Then he issued an 
edict, that this " Luminous Religion," as it was called, 
should be preached everywhere. He built a large 
monastery and placed twenty-one priests in charge of 
it. He had his portrait painted on the wall. A high 
official gave a gold carpet. 

On his birthday he sent incense to the priests, tell- 
ing them to burn it and pray for him and his people. 
On this day he also sent them a feast from his bounti- 
ful table. The monastery became a center of blessing 
to all. Here the poor were fed, the naked were clothed, 
the sick were cured and the dead were peacefully laid 
to rest. Many officials became converted, Alapun was 
given a high position, and Christianity spread to all 
the ten provinces. Glory and prosperity were with the 
country. In 781 a great monument was erected to the 
Christian bishop of that time. It was ten feet high 
and weighed two tons. On it were carved much of the 
history of the Christianity of that time and the names 




A Section of the Nestorian Tablet Which Gives the Story of Early 
Christianity in China 




Ancestral Tablets in Temple. On These Tablets Are the Names of 
Ancestors and They Are Worshiped PiJi? emly Uke Hols 



Mission Study — China 7 

of seventy missionaries. For two hundred years Chris- 
tianity was allowed freedom in the country. Then 
there came to the throne an emperor who forbade all 
foreign religions. Christians with others were greatly 
persecuted. The great monument was quickly buried, 
and Christianity was all but forgotten till the discov- 
ery of the buried monument in 1625. Now it stands 
in Hsi An Fu, Shensi (a copy of it is in New York 
City), in memory of these early missionaries. Why 
did persecution quickly wipe them out? Persecution 
only fans the flames of true Christianity. They start- 
ed their work in the palace of the emperor. Jesus 
started his work in the hearts of the fishermen. 

The Catholics in China, 1264 A. D. 

Six hundred years passed, and another caravan 
arrived at the palace of the emperor of China. This 
time it was at Peking, the magnificent court of Kubli 
Khan, the emperor of half the world. Kubli Khan had 
conquered the greater part of Asia and his court sur- 
passed the courts of Europe in wealth and grandeur. 
The doors of the empire were open to all those who 
could impart knowledge and benefit to the empire. 
Knowledge and wealth again flowed into China. This 
caravan was led by the Polo brothers of Italy. They 
bowed before the imperial throne seven times, as was 
the custom, and presented their gifts. Kubli Khan 
asked them much about their far-off country and 
especially about the pope, the head of the Catholic 



8 Junior Folks at 

church. He became deeply interested in the Chris- 
tian religion and when they went home he made 
them ambassadors to the pope, requesting that 
he send one hundred missionaries over to teach his 
people this good religion. They took the message to 
the pope, but only two missionaries could be found 
who were willing to endure the hardships of the long 
journey, and these two never arrived. When the Polo 
brothers returned with a letter from the pope they 
brought young Marco Polo along with them. He soon 
became a great favorite with the emperor, and was 
appointed to several important positions. He was 
governor of one of the provinces for three years. 
These men taught the emperor much of Christianity, 
but the missionaries did not come, so he sent out 
Buddhist priests to teach his people. 

It was not till the very close of Kubli Khan's reign 
that the great missionary, John of Monte Corvino, 
arrived (1292), but the people were so ready for him 
that in eleven years he had baptized six thousand peo- 
ple. He built a church in Peking, and placed in it 
three bells, which regularly called the people to 
prayers. He bought, trained and baptized one hun- 
dred and fifty boys for a choir. The emperor often 
came to hear them sing. John translated the New 
Testament and Psalms into Chinese, and at his death 
he had thirty thousand converts. 

With the rise of the Ming Dynasty (1368) inter- 
course with foreign countries was stopped. The Chris- 



Mission Study — China 9 

tians were persecuted and killed and Christianity was 
almost forgotten, when Matteo Ricci came to Peking 
in 1513. By his great knowledge of the sciences, and 
his wonderful tact, he quickly won his way into the 
higher circles of Peking, and rendered valuable serv- 
ices to the emperor. Inside of two years fifty thou- 
sand converts were baptized in Peking. But the new 
emperor again closed the doors in 1728 and persecu- 
tion extinguished the light of Christianity. 

Protestant Missions, 1807-1920 

Another six hundred years had passed and China 
seemed farther from Christianity than ever. This 
time no caravan arrived in Peking, but a boat landed 
at Canton, a long distance from Peking. It bore a 
precious treasure, Robert Morrison, who had prayed 
that God would send him to the most difficult mission 
field in the world. His prayer was fully answered. 
No emperor welcomed him to the palace. He rented 
a room in an old factory. He dared speak of Chris- 
tianity only behind locked doors, to several of the men 
in his employ. Often he was afraid to appear on the 
street. Once he was beaten and driven out of the city ; 
but he returned. Not being able to do public work he 
began writing and translating. In this he was repeat- 
edly threatened by the officials. His printing material 
was destroyed, his stock of paper burned, his money 
taken, and his press was closed. Translating the 
Scriptures was made a capital crime. In unsanitary 



10 Junior Folks at 

rooms, with improper food, overworked and broken 
in health, he continued his writing, preparing the way 
for future missionaries. He completed a Chinese- 
English dictionary in six large volumes, translated the 
whole Bible, and, with the help of Mr. Milne, who 
came later, he printed 150,000 copies of books and 
tracts. He worked seven years before he had a con- 
vert, and when he passed to his reward, after twenty- 
seven years of untiring service, there were but two 
other Protestant missionaries and three native Chris- 
tians to show for his labors. Other missionaries be- 
gan to arrive, but the work was difficult and only a few 
coast cities were occupied. 

About fifty years after Morrison arrived two house- 
boats pushed out from Shanghai up the river about 
twenty-five miles, to a place where foreigners had 
never been seen. When they landed a crowd quickly 
gathered, and the people were given many tracts and 
Gospels. Then the strangers went into the city and 
preached in two places. In the afternoon and evening 
they continued their preaching, in temple, in teahouse 
or street, wherever a crowd gathered. For several days 
they continued this, but one day, when they were eating 
dinner in the boat, they heard a great noise overhead 
and immediately the whole roof fell in with a crash. 
They rushed out and found several men pelting the 
boat with great clods. It seemed that they were 
angry because they were not given all the books they 
wanted. In the evening when the missionaries re- 




Robert Morrison 



Mission Study— China 11 

turned from preaching the boatman was very much 
frightened, saying there were bad men near, just wait- 
ing to rob them. So they moved silently away in the 
darkness, rejoicing that the precious seed had been 
sown in another city. 

These two men were William Burns and Hudson 
Taylor. Burns, the elder, was one of the few men 
who dared to leave the large coast cities during these 
perilous times. For twenty years this noble man, in 
the face of death, endured cursing, stoning and im- 
prisonment. He traversed the whole coast, from Can- 
ton to Peking, selling and giving tracts and Bibles to 
the people. Whether on crowded streets, in prisons, 
or in the officials' courts he never failed to tell of the 
crucified, risen Savior. The younger man, Taylor, was 
just starting on his wonderful work for inland China. 
For several years these two worked together, rejoic- 
ing in their persecutions for the sake of seeing a few 
saved. In 1860 there were 160 missionaries and 960 
Protestant Christians in China. In 1865 Taylor or- 
ganized the great " China Inland Mission," which 
gathers missionaries from all parts of the world and 
sends them to the farthest, most dangerous parts of 
China. 

In the face of all difficulties and dangers the mis- 
sionaries continued to come. But business men of all 
kinds also rushed in, bringing ideas, both good and 
bad. There was much talk of dividing China up 



12 Junior Folks at 

among the other nations and she became thoroughly 
alarmed and organized the " Boxers " in 1900 for the 
killing of the foreigners and the protection of the na- 
tion. Over 200 missionaries and their children and 
some 2,000 Chinese Christians were cruelly put to 
death. But the death of true martyrs only fans the 
flames of Christianity. Hundreds of missionaries 
rushed in to take their places, and now there are ap- 
proximately 6,000 missionaries and over 300,000 bap- 
tized Christians. The doors are open wide every- 
where. One hundred years after Morrison had his 
one convert Dr. Mott spoke to an audience of over 
3,000 in the same city, Canton. One thousand re- 
mained to an after-meeting, and 800 enrolled as in- 
quirers. He had similar results in all the cities where 
he spoke. Officials, scholars and students, all were 
eager to hear him. This time Christianity started in a 
far corner of China, in the humblest of homes, and in 
one hundred years it has reached the imperial court, 
has transformed it, and the empire has changed into a 
republic. Many Christians are filling important official 
positions. Thousands are saying that Christianity is 
the only hope of saving China. What will six hundred 
years from Morrison's time find in China? At the 
present rate of progress she will be a great Christian 
nation, and that far before six hundred years have 
passed. 

Why did not persecution kill the spirit of Christian- 
ity this time as it did in the early mission work ? Was 




Hudson Taylor as a Youn$r Man 



Mission Study — China 13 

it not because the true principle of Christianity had 
taken root in the hearts of the common people in 
every province ? 

REFERENCE BOOKS 

Dawn on the Hills of Tang, H. P. Beach. 

A Retrospect, J. Hudson Taylor. 

Makers of Cathay, C. W. Allen. 

New Life Currents in China, Mary Gamewell. 

Life of Morrison, Gilmore, Burns, Taylor. 

HANDWORK 

Draw a map of China, locating Peking, Hsi An Fu, 
Canton, Shanghai. By a geography map measure how 
many miles from Italy to Peking. How many miles from 
Persia to Hsi An Fu? How many miles from Canton to 
Peking? Get pictures of Chinese missionaries. 

QUESTIONS 
I. Nestorians in China. 

1. Where did the Nestorians come from and for what 
purpose? 

2. Who was their leader and how did they travel? 

3. What emperor welcomed them to the capital and 
how did he receive their message? 

4. How did the emperor help them in their mission 
work? 

5. Tell about the Nestorian monument. Where is it 
now? How old is it? 

II. The Catholics in China. 

1. What kind of an emperor was Kubli Khan? 

2. What brothers came from Europe to see Kubli 
Khan and what did they tell him? 



14 Junior Folks at 

3. What did he think of Christianity and what did he 
request? 

4. Why did the missionaries not come and who then 
taught his people? 

III. Protestant Missions. 

1. Who was the first Protestant missionary and what 
difficulties did he have? 

2. What writing did he do and what results did he 
see in his life time ? 

3. Tell about Burns and Taylor doing mission work 
up the river. 

4. What did Hudson Taylor do for China? 

5. What did the Boxers do and why? 

6. How was Dr. Mott received in China? 



CHAPTER II 

Confucius 

Now that you have read something of the wonderful 
civilization of China, you must be eager to know some- 
thing of her great men also. There are many, many 
of them, but I am going to tell you of only two. 

The Chinese love to honor Confucius, and feel that 
he holds first place among their great people. He was 
born in Shantung about 551 B. C. Thus he lived about 
the same time as Isaiah and others of our Old Tes- 
tament prophets. When he was but three years old 
his aged father died and left the family in very poor 
circumstances. Later in life Confucius spoke of this 
as being valuable in the building of his character. 

At the age of nineteen, Confucius was married, but 
his home life was not a success. We cannot but feel 
that it is a blot on his character that he left his home 
because he felt home life a burden and thought it more 
profitable to give his time to study. 

We know little of what he did as a boy, but some- 
how, sometime, he must have learned that " what is 
worth doing, is worth doing well." One of his ad- 
mirers tells us, " Confucius was once a keeper of 
stores and he then said, ' My accounts must all be 
right; that is all I have to care for.' He was once in 

15 



16 Junior Folks at 

charge of the public fields and he then said, ' The 
oxen and sheep must be fat and strong and superior; 
that is all my business.' " 

At a very early age he showed an intense desire for 
learning. His mother reared him carefully according 
to Chinese customs, but when he was twenty-four 
years of age she died. He laid her in the grave with 
his father, and over them he erected a huge mound. 
He then went into mourning for twenty-seven months. 
The time probably was not wasted, but spent in study. 

By and by he became a teacher. I wonder how you 
would have liked him ! Was he strict ? Did he pun- 
ish a great deal ? Did he persuade his pupils to study 
or behave? No, not a bit. Now do you think you 
would have liked him? He said, " I do not open up 
the truth to one who is not eager to learn, nor help out 
anyone who is not anxious to explain himself. When 
I have presented one corner of a subject to anyone 
and he cannot, from it, learn the other three, I do 
not repeat my lesson." He felt it was a waste of time 
to work with those who were lazy or indifferent. One 
such pupil he had once. What do you think he did? 
He simply said, " Rotton wood cannot be carved ; a 
wall of soil cannot receive a trowel ; this man Yu, 
what is the use of my reproving him? " 

As Confucius was poor, he accepted pay from those 
who wished to give it to him, but he never demanded 
pay. He gathered about himself only those who were 
eager to learn. By the latter part of his life the num- 



Mission Study — China 17 

ber of his disciples reached more than three thousand. 
Of these there were about seventy who formed an 
inner circle, and who seemed to have grasped the great 
principles which he tried to teach. 

Early in life he formed the idea that if a country is 
to be prosperous the rulers must be strong, clean 
men. As a reformer he began with the officials and 
worked long', weary years endeavoring to influence 
them. He said, ''The relation between superiors and 
inferiors is like that between the wind and the grass. 
The grass must bend when the wind blows over it." 

Later in life Confucius was appointed to a political 
office, in which it was his business to suppress crime. 
This he attempted to do by teaching right principles 
rather than by punishment. His efforts were reward- 
ed with surprising success. Upon one occasion a 
young man was accused of crime. Both he and his 
father were imprisoned. Confucius said that the 
father's neglect was the cause of the crime. After 
three months in prison both men were brought before 
this just judge. He instructed the father in the duty 
of training his son, and the son in the duty of obedi- 
ence. Both of them became better, wiser citizens. 

Though many books are said to have been written 
by Confucius, he was more of an editor than an 
author. However, some of his maxims are worth re- 
membering. The greatest one he ever gave is the 
one which sounds like the teaching of Jesus : " Never 
do to anyone what you would not have them do to 



18 Junior Folks at 

you." Once when asked the meaning of virtue he 
said, " Love your fellow-men." When asked the 
meaning of knowledge, he said, " Know your fellow- 
men." He taught that neither wealth, nor honor nor 
pleasure, but goodness was the foundation of true 
happiness. 

After he had passed threescore years and ten, with 
a sad heart and a sense of failure he fell into the last 
long sleep. His disciples buried him with great pomp 
and splendor. Some of them built little huts near his 
grave and mourned for him three years. As they were 
about to leave they wailed till they lost their voices. 
One disciple felt that he could not leave, and so re- 
mained by the grave another three years. Human 
history gives no picture of a deeper love of pupil for 
teacher than this. 

A fine large temple was built near the grave, and 
Confucian temples are to be found throughout the land. 
There are splendid ones at all of our mission stations. 
In these there are no idols, but tablets to Confucius, 
Mencius and their disciples. The images of Con- 
fucius are very rare indeed. In the interior of China, 
worship in these temples takes place about once a year. 

When worship does take place in one of these 
temples the tablet to Confucius occupies the central 
place. Before it a cow is offered as a sacrifice. The 
animal is killed and only the skin removed. It is then 
placed in a kneeling posture, on a table in front of the 
tablet. A pig and a sheep are prepared in the same 



Mission Study — China 19 

way and placed, one on the right hand and the other 
on the left. On this occasion, once a year, the gov- 
ernment schoolboys and teachers come at midnight and 
quietly, reverently, kneel down and bump their heads 
to the earth, before the tablets. How wonderfully 
Confucius has influenced more than one-third of the 
human race for more than two thousand three hun- 
dred years ! Yet he never tried to give the people 
a religion and never claimed that he was divine. How 
sad that he never learned to know the true God and 
to lead his people to this great Source of help and 
comfort ! 

QUESTIONS 

When was Confucius born? 

Tell of his childhood. 

Tell of his married life. 

Quote the maxims. 

In what way is the Golden Rule given by Jesus su- 
perior to this maxim? 

What do you think of his definition of knowledge? 

Describe Confucian worship in the temples. Tell of 
his disciples' love for him. 



CHAPTER III 

Some Marks of China's Civilization 

Anna Seese 

The Great Wall 

Come, young friends, make the circle larger; let 
all the boys and girls enjoy this cozy fire. It's an old- 
fashioned fireplace, isn't it? We do not see them like 
this in China. Oh ! how good the popcorn smells, and 
chestnuts, too. Yes, we have them in China. 

You say this is to be a China party. Now just 
what do you mean? 

I see ; this evening we are to talk about nothing but 
China, and you want to learn something about the 
wonderful things there. Good ! You belong to the 
Willing Workers' Class, don't you? How nice it is 
to come home to America on a furlough and find 
Sunday-school boys and girls so interested in China 
and the work we are doing there ! 

Shall we eat the popcorn now ? No ! Then what 
shall I tell you about first? 

The Great Wall ! You've read about it in your 
geographies then. I used to read about it, too, and I 
wondered if there really was such a thing. Now I 
know there is. You must not think America has all 
the wonderful things, for there are in China some of 
the wonders of the world, and the Great Wall is one 
of them. 

21 



22 Junior Folks at 

It was completed about 204 B. C. The work was all 
done by human hands, and it took ten years to do it. 
We must not say it was all built in those ten years, 
but what was done then was to join smaller walls 
along the northern border of the empire into one great 
wall. These smaller walls were built by different 
emperors before 204 B. C, so, taking it as a whole, 
we cannot tell just how old it really is. Dirt, brick 
and stone are the materials used in its building, and 
these were all made or taken from the hills and moun- 
tains close by. At its base the wall is twenty-five 
feet thick, at the top about fifteen feet, and it varies 
in height from fifteen to thirty feet. At different 
places there are strong gates which at one time were 
carefully guarded and opened only for traffic. This 
Great Wall follows the crest of the mountains, and as 
we see it climbing the highest peak, 5,225 feet, we 
can well imagine the difficulty of the task the Chinese 
had before them in its building. It is about 1,500 
miles long; that is, it would reach from Philadelphia, 
Pa., to Topeka, Kans. I am sure you want to know 
why these people desired such a long and strong wall. 

North of China is Mongolia. In that country lived 
a race of people who were becoming very troublesome 
to the Chinese. These people were a restless and 
wandering sort, mostly herders, and of course wanted 
the finest grazing for their cattle. They looked long- 
ingly toward the rich pasture lands of China, and 
quite naturally were tempted to cross the border. The 



Mission Study — China 23 

Chinese saw this and became afraid of the Tartar 
enemies, as these folks were called, and as a result the 
Great Wall was built to protect their empire from in- 
vasion. Can't you, in imagination, see these northern 
enemies ride up to this Great Wall and search it with 
anxious eye for an unguarded spot, and then in dis- 
appointment turn to ride hopelessly away? After 
more than two thousand years this Great Wall re- 
mains as an evidence of the energy and perseverance 
of the builders, as well as their lack of wisdom and 
their foolish expenditure of time and labor. 

The Grand Canal 

I think the Chinese did a much more useful piece 
of work when they built the Grand Canal. I will now 
tell you about that. 

When it was in good repair there was direct com- 
munication by water from Peking to Canton. It has 
fallen into decay, but there are plans for its being put 
into operation again. It is a large channel between 
lakes and rivers, uniting all into one great waterway. 
Compared with canals in Western countries it does 
not rank very high, but when first put into operation 
there was none equal to it in all the world. Like the 
Great Wall, it was not built in a year, nor two, nor 
even in a hundred. 

The canal between the Yellow and the Yangtse 
Rivers was repaired in 600 A. D, We do not know 
when it was built, As a whole the canal was completed 



24 Junior Folks at 

in 1289. It is interesting to know that most of the 
labor was spent in making the channel by building 
banks, rather than digging, which is the usual way 
canals are built. The entire length is 650 miles, or 
nearly twice as long as the Erie Canal. 

At this time in the history of the nation there was 
great need for the canal. The North was needing rice 
and other things from the South. The South was 
dependent upon the North for foodstuffs. Then, too, 
the government at Peking was demanding rice as 
tribute from the different provinces, and it was not 
easy to bring it from so far. This was one great 
reason why the canal was built. This water route 
became very useful, since it was so much easier to 
bring materials by boat than by cart or pack animals. 

Memorial Arches 

Now I think you would be interested in knowing 
something about the many large memorial arches that 
are seen all over China. You will notice them along 
public roads, in the streets, and at the entrances of 
large cities. Many are found always in the most 
conspicuous places, and consist of a broad gateway 
across the street or road. Then there may be one on 
each side of the large one, where the tootpaths often 
are made. They are erected in honor of great men, 
officials, and those who have rendered some important 
public service. Sometimes they are erected for widows 
who refuse to marry again. Some of these arches cost. 



Mission Study — China 25 

thousands of dollars and are very beautiful. I think 
the most wonderful one that I have seen is in Peking. 
It was erected probably by Confucius or some of his 
pupils. As one approaches the building the effect is 
that of a beautiful picture in a rich, costly frame. 
The trees in the distance make a pleasing background. 
The arch is constructed of stone, overlaid with tiles 
of the most brilliant colors. The carving on the stone, 
the blending of colors and the fine proportions of this 
arch make it one of the most beautiful of its kind in 
China. 

Altar of Heaven 

I want to tell you about the Altar of Heaven. It is 
the most sacred place connected with the Chinese re- 
ligion. You will find it in the south Chinese city in 
Peking, and one of the most beautiful places in the 
city. It was here that the emperor once a year 
worshiped Heaven. It is surrounded by about three 
miles of wall. On entering you find yourself in a 
large park in which there is a grove of locust, pine, 
and fir trees. There is still a second wall before you. 
get to the altar. Inside this wall there is a group of 
very large cypress trees. Old and gnarled as they 
are, they stand against the storms of the years. The 
quietness of the place is very impressive. 

The Altar of Heaven is built of white marble. It 
is round and has three terraces. The -ground terrace 
or base is 210 feet in diameter. The second terrace is 



26 Junior Folks at 

150 feet, and the top one is ninety feet. Each of these 
is inclosed by a richly-carved balustrade. The top 
terrace is eighteen feet high and paved with beautiful 
marble slabs. There is one large round stone in the 
center, and around this are arranged layers of slabs in 
circles. There are nine circles, because nine is a 
favorite number to the Chinese. This altar is all 
open; no roof stood between the emperor and heaven 
at the time of worship. From the top terrace leading 
to the second terrace are four stairways of nine steps 
each; these also extend to the ground. At different 
places on the altar are arranged tablets of stone to 
the sun, moon and stars. On the ground at the foot 
of the stairs are set vessels of bronze, in which the 
sacrifices were placed. About a hundred feet south 
of the altar is the furnace that was used in burning 
the sacrifice. This furnace is nine feet high and is 
faced with green porcelain. On three sides are porce- 
lain stairways. 

Would you like to know just how the emperor used 
to worship here ? There is no such ceremony now, be- 
cause the state religion is falling into decay since China 
became a republic, but while it was still an empire this 
worship took place regularly every year. 

On the longest night in the year, Dec. 21, the em- 
peror went from his palace down to the Altar of 
Heaven, which I have just told you about. He was 
going to worship Heaven, so wore a blue robe, just the 
color of the sky. He rode in his large state car drawn 




Memorial Archway, Peking 




Entrance to the Altar of Heaven, Peking 



Mission Study — China 27 

by an elephant. He was escorted by over two thou- 
sand nobles, princes and musicians. All were dressed 
in robes of richest satin and embroidery. The emperor 
first went to the Palace of Fasting, where he was alone 
in preparation for the ceremony that was to follow. 
The animals were killed and put in the large furnace 
to burn, and when the odor of burning meat began to 
ascend he would begin his march up to the altar. On 
each side of him walked his officials, who were ready 
to render any assistance he might need. There were 
burning sacrifices, lighted torches, music and singing, 
which made this a most impressive sight to witness. 
Loud prayers were offered by the ministers. Just as 
the clock struck the hour of midnight the emperor 
knelt on the round stone in the center of the altar 
and touched his head to the floor several times. This 
was his worship to Heaven. He then offered silk, 
rice and rare stones to the tablets of the sun, moon 
and stars. These rich gifts were afterwards burned 
in the furnace as a sacrifice. This occasion was held 
very sacred by the Chinese. Their emperor held the 
highest religious office there was. He was the son of 
Heaven, the mediator between his subjects and the 
higher powers, and he alone must present the wishes 
of the people to Heaven. 

If any ordinary man prayed directly to Heaven he 
did so under penalty of death. This was cruel, but in 
China in those days man's religion was probably more 
superstition than anything else, 



28 Junior Folks at 

Are you tired of listening, or shall I tell you some- 
thing yet about the pretty roofs we see on many public 
buildings in China? 

In the Forbidden City — the home of the emperor — 
the roofs present many beautiful combinations of 
colors, largely yellow and green. Under the eaves 
there are rich carvings and paintings in various colors. 
The Chinese are wonderful at blending colors. An- 
other thing that you would not admire, perhaps, is the 
curious forms of animals that are used as decorations. 
We often see on the ridgepoles of the buildings images 
of fierce-looking dogs and lions. This is the Chinese 
idea of what is a beautiful house. 

I want to tell you a little about the Rockefeller hos- 
pital in Peking. In its roof the architect has followed 
the Chinese style of building. It has green tiles, like 
those in the emperor's palace, and many curious orna- 
ments. It was a problem to know where to get the 
tiles for this hospital. A certain family had made 
them for the emperors in earlier days and had kept 
most carefully guarded the secret of how to make 
them. No one else knew how. This family or clan 
had fallen into decay, and it took no small effort to 
locate them and organize their artists into a working 
force again. But the builders of the hospital succeed- 
ed in doing so, and if you ever visit Peking and see 
the beautiful tiles flashing in the sun you will thank 
the builders who brought about such beautiful results. 

Now don't you think China is wonderful? Their 



Mission Study — China 29 

walls for protection, and canals for commerce, so early 
in Chinese history, their giving of honor to those who 
deserve it, their loyalty to their religion, and their 
skill in art are all true evidences of the greatness of 
the race. 

Now you may eat the popcorn. Thank you for the 
China party. 

QUESTIONS 

1. What was the purpose of the Great Wall? 

2. What are the height and thickness of it? 

3. Show on the map the two cities between which the 
canal was built. 

4. Which was the more useful, the wall or the canal? 
Why? 

5. For what purpose are memorial arches erected? 

6. Explain how the emperor worshiped in the Altar of 
Heaven. 

7. Do you think the Chinese people will be just as will- 
ing to worship Jesus? 




HONG KONG 

MAP OF CHINA 

RAILWAYS OP CHINA - 

mission location! 



CHAPTER IV 

Chinese Customs and Religions 

Emma Horning 

WA-NIEH, THE HUNCHBACK 
Her Childhood 

" Mother ! Mother ! come quick ! Baby has fallen 
into the ash-pit." The voice came from the older 
sister in the living-room. The mother rushed across 
the courtyard from the kitchen, where she was getting 
breakfast, as fast as her bound feet would permit. 
Yes, indeed; there was the baby girl buried in the 
ashes of the ash-pit. Mother pulled the child out, 
brushed off the ashes and set her on the k'ong. She 
did not cry, so the mother thought she was not hurt. 
" Now, sister," said her mother, " see that you take 
better care of baby this time, and don't let her get 
the cover off the ash-pit again. We will starve to 
death before I get breakfast if you children bother 
me so much/' So saying she went back to the kitch- 
en, and inside of half an hour came back carrying a 
big kettle of millet soup, in which pieces of squash 
were cooked. This she placed on the middle of the 
k'ong and then sent sister back for the bowls and chop- 
sticks. 

31 



32 Junior Folks at 

The grandmother and grandfather, with the other 
children, came in, got up on the k'ong and crossed 
their feet, tailor fashion, waiting impatiently till moth- 
er dished out a bowl of food for each one. Mother 
wondered why Baby Wa-nieh did not eat very hearti- 
ly. Several days later she remarked that Wa-nieh 
must not be well, for she did not creep about as lively 
as usual. Months went by, but she did not grow 
rapidly. Several years passed and a hump came on 
her little back. " Oh," said mother, " that happened 
when she fell into the ash-pit. My poor little girl will 
always be a cripple. " And it was so. Whenever she 
went out of the court some one would say " Oh, see 
that hunchback ! " She became so sensitive that she 
seldom left the house, even to see the great, strong 
men pour fiery, red, molten iron into the molds at the 
foundry on the hillside near her home. She lived 
in the midst of the great iron fields of Shansi. 

Her Engagement 

Years passed by, when one day Wa-nieh said, 
" Mother, why am I not engaged? Everybody is 
laughing at me. All the little girls around here are 
engaged and I will soon be seventeen." " My daugh- 
ter," said her mother, " many match-makers have 
been here to see you, but when they look at your 
hunchback they do not want to give much money 
for you, so we have not been in a hurry to engage 
you, but if you are anxious about it I will speak to 




The Iron Foundry Near Wa-nieh's Home 




Toa-fu and Fu-nieh, With Their Grandmother, Mrs. Kwan 



Mission Study — China 33 

your father." The next time her father came home 
(his business was in a distant city) he said, " Wa- 
nieh, you are soon to be engaged. My partner wants 
a wife for his son, and since we are such good 
friends, and you are a cripple, I told him we would 
ask no money for you." She was happy now, for 
she would not be laughed at any more. 

They looked in the almanac for a lucky day, wrote 
the engagement contract on a big red card and placed it 
carefully in a pretty box. When the day arrived, six 
men took it to her future husband's home, where 
they worshiped the god of wealth, drank wine 
and enjoyed a feast. Six months later his parents 
sent her the engagement presents. When she opened 
the packages her joy was complete. There was an 
entire suit of red and blue clothing, and oh, such lovely 
silver, jade and agate ornaments ! — hairpins, earrings, 
chains and ankle clasps. The shy, modest Wa-nieh 
was in her third heaven for many a day. " Now," 
said her mother, " you may make your wedding shoes 
and other clothing, for you will be married in less 
than two years." Then, day by day, every spare mo- 
ment she worked on the tiny satin shoes, covering 
them with flowers and butterflies in daintiest em- 
broidery. 

Her Wedding 

Nine pairs of shoes and the other clothing being 
completed, they again consulted the almanac for a 
lucky day for the wedding. On the appointed day 



34 Junior Folks at 

two men and two women, dressed in their best, came 
from the groom's home to take the bride to the wed- 
ding. Attired in her beautiful red embroidered cloth- 
ing, and closely veiled, she was placed in the red 
bridal chair. The chair was tightly closed and she 
was carried by four men into the city (Ping Ting 
Chou) where her husband lived. In the court of his 
home was placed a large altar. Before this the two 
worshiped " Heaven and Earth." When they retired 
to the house the friends showered them with cut straw, 
dates, nuts and small pieces of money. In the house 
they sat on a red mat, where her veil was raised and 
she saw her husband for the first time in her life. 
She was too shy and good-mannered to look him full 
in the face; however, one shy glance told her that he 
was not ugly and old. He was only two years older 
than herself. They drank wine as they sat on the 
red mat together, and the wedding ceremony was 
completed. That night the friends had a gay time teas- 
ing the bride and groom. At daybreak the next morn- 
ing they worshiped before the ancestral shrine. Here 
candles were burning and a feast was spread to feed 
the spirits of the ancestors. Then followed several 
days of feasting at the homes of the bride and groom, 
the details of which would take a book to tell. 

Her New Home 

By and by Wa-nieh was settled in her new home 
and had time to get acquainted with her husband and 



Mission Study — China 35 

mother-in-law, who was a widow, her husband hav- 
ing died several years before. His long sickness had 
taken all their money, so their beautiful daughter 
had to be sold as a bride for $60 to pay for the coffin 
and the funeral expenses. Her son had continued as 
clerk in his father's shop in the distant city. He re- 
ceived his food and clothing and some twenty dol- 
lars a year, the most of which he gave to his mother 
to take care of the family. However, she sewed for 
the greater part of the living. After Wa-nieh's wed- 
ding her husband soon went to the shop and she saw 
him but once a year when he came home at New 
Year's time. A son and daughter blessed their home 
and they were as happy as their neighbors. 

The Opium Demon 

All went very well till Wa-nieh's husband took 
hemorrhage of the lungs, for which the shopkeeper 
gave him opium as a cure. The opium habit soon had 
him in its grip. He could do nothing but satisfy the 
craving of the terrible drug. He was dismissed from 
the shop and came home to live on what the women 
made by sewing. His mother had a bad cough, and 
he insisted on her taking a little opium to give her 
strength. Opium, he said, made a person feel so good 
and could cure anything. She tried it and it did make 
her feel good as long as its effect lasted. But the de- 
mon inside had to be fed all the time, and she, too, got 
the terrible habit of opium smoking. It took all they 
made by sewing to buy the drug, and still the craving 



36 Junior Folks at 

was not satisfied, while there was nothing left to buy 
food and clothing. They sold everything that was 
valuable in the home. Wa-nieh and the children, 
Toa-fu and Fu-nieh, were clothed in rags. The father 
and grandmother were nearing the same condition, 
when a relative said to the grandmother, " There is 
a foreign opium refuge near our place. If you go 
there you can break off opium and they may give you 
something to do to earn a living, since you are getting 
too old to sew/' With fear and trembling she came 
to our refuge one evening. She was afraid people 
would laugh at her, and besides she had heard such 
awful things about the foreigners; but she had to do 
something. She proved to be a good, industrious wom- 
an after she had broken off opium, and the foreign 
ladies did take her into their employ. She learned 
to read the Bible and became a faithful Christian. 
The son also broke off opium, but was too weak to 
resist other temptations, and he took to drinking. 
The family was in the depths of poverty, so he sold 
his beautiful little daughter for eight dollars to be mar- 
ried when she was old enough. Another hemorrhage 
came on and he suddenly died. The widow sorrowed 
with uncontrollable grief, till her friends feared she 
would soon follow her husband. 

Her New Life 

The foreign ladies and the grandmother, after much 
persuading, finally succeeded in getting the shy, grief- 



Mission Study — China 37 

stricken mother into the women's school, where she 
studied and did sewing to support herself and chil- 
dren. Here she learned about the new religion which 
made the grandmother so happy. After a few months 
a new light began to beam in her sad eyes. She 
learned to sing and read and pray. In the spring, 
when all the neighbors went to worship at the graves, 
she and her son went to the hillside, where her hus- 
band was buried, and put flowers on the grave in- 
stead of burning paper money and offering food to 
the spirits of the dead. She came back that day with 
the light of heaven shining in her eyes. But the life 
which was budding so beautifully on earth was des- 
tined to blossom in heaven. Tuberculosis, China's 
terrible curse, fastened its cold hands on her and she 
succumbed to the same disease as her husband. The 
church bought the coffin and the funeral took place 
in her little courtyard — a strange funeral. The Chris- 
tians came for the last time to look at her poor crip- 
pled body. Some of her mother's relatives came from 
the village to pay their last respects. They knew noth- 
ing about Christianity or Christian customs. On one 
side of the court they set off many firecrackers, and 
burned paper money for her soul to use on its long 
journey. It was all they knew to do for her as she 
passed into the unknown darkness. One the other 
side of the court the Christians sang beautiful songs 
of peace, and the pastor read comforting words of 
Scripture, committing her soul to its Maker. They 



38 Junior Folks at 

could not afford the big dragon hearse, with its roll- 
ing eyes and smoking nostrils. No, she was modestly 
carried by two men and placed on the hillside by her 
husband, but her soul had gone to him whom she had 
so lately learned to love. 

Her Children 

When her father died, Fu-nieh was taken to the 
home of her future husband, for her mother was too 
poor to care for her; but she cried all day long for 
her mother and home, and would not be comforted, 
so she was brought back and placed in the kinder- 
garten. Later she entered the girls' school. Toa-fu 
is attending the boys' school. They live with their 
grandmother, but both are being supported by loving 
friends in America. Under the grandmother's 
Christian care, and with the daily teaching in the mis- 
sion schools, we trust they will never pass through 
the hopeless sorrows of their parents. 

OBJECTS OF INTEREST 

Chopsticks, tiny Chinese shoes, incense (punk), pic- 
tures, idols, paper gods. 

HANDWORK 

Draw a map locating Ping Ting Chou, Liao Chou, and 
Shou Yang, and write the products on the map. 

Make a Chinese courtyard, using wood, brick or paste- 
board boxes. (For pattern see picture.) 

Make a bridal chair, using a pasteboard box and cover 



Mission Study — China 39 

with red paper; fasten two long sticks on each side for 
carrying. (For pattern see picture.) 

OUTLINE AND QUESTIONS 

I. Her Childhood. 

1. Where was Wa-nieh born and what happened 
when she was a child? 

2. Describe her home and surroundings. 

II. Her Engagement. 

1. What did her father do for a living? 

2. When was she engaged and to whom? 

3. What did she get for engagement presents? 

III. Her Wedding. 

1. How was she dressed, and how was she taken 
to his home? 

2. Describe the wedding. 

3. What is an ancestral shrine? 

IV. Her Home. 

1. Who lived with her in her new home? 

2. What did her husband do? 

3. How many children did they have? 
V. The Opium Demon. 

1. Why did he take opium and why dismissed? 

2. What suffering did the opium cause? 

3. How did they break off the habit? 
VI. Her New Life. 

1. What school did she enter and what did she 
learn? 

2. Describe her death and strange funeral. 
VII. Her Children. 

1. Who takes care of the children? 

2. Where do they go to school? 

3. Who supports them? 



40 Junior Folks at 

RESEARCH QUESTIONS 

How are Chinese homes built? 
What is a courtyard? 

What kinds of beds do they sleep on in the North? 
Why is the ash-pit in the house? 
What part of China is Shansi? 
What are the chief products of Shansi? 
What is a matchmaker? 
Why are children engaged so young? 
How do they bind the children's feet? At what age? 
What is being done to overcome this cruel custom? 
What are lucky days ? What are some of their other 
superstitions? 
What are the modes of travel in Shansi? 
What is ancestral worship? 



CHAPTER V 



<< 



Beacon Lights " of Modern China 

Grace Clapper 

In days of yore, when China lived in constant 
dread of her enemies — savage hordes who were eager 
to gain a foothold within her borders — beacons were 
placed upon high hills and mountains throughout the 
empire, and in times of great danger these were lit 
to summon the princes to the defense of their country. 
In this way news was flashed across the country in a 
very short time and an army was raised to march 
against the enemy. These beacon lights were not only 
signals of danger, but emblems of protection, without 
which, in an unguarded moment, China might have 
fallen into the hands of her enemies. That day is 
past. China now has a more convenient method of 
sending information, and therefore the old-time beacon 
light is almost useless. 

But the " beacon lights " of which we want to 
speak in this chapter are of a different class al- 
together. China's greatest enemy today is not an 
enemy that can be tackled with swords and spears, 
or other implements of war. This enemy is " Mo 
Kuei " (Moa Gway), the name given by the Chinese 
to Satan, the enemy of our souls, who must be fought 

41 



42 Junior Folks at 

with spiritual weapons. It is the purpose of this chap- 
ter to mention briefly some " warriors " who have 
been used of God in wielding the " Sword of the 
Spirit/' and who have thus become " beacon lights," 
warning their countrymen of the peril of their souls, 
summoning together all the forces of righteousness 
to fight for them in this land of superstition and idola- 
try. Perhaps no converted Chinese has been more 
widely and more powerfully used of God in this way 
than 

*Rev. Ting Li Mei 

of the province of Shantung. He is China's lead- 
ing evangelist of today, whose specialty in the Lord's 
work is enlisting student volunteers for the work of 
the gospel ministry. He is interested in students 
particularly, and in every one whom he meets, 
whether he be educated or ignorant, rich or poor, 
great or small. Were he to hand you his calling card 
probably you would smile at seeing the peculiar name 
on it : " Lord Jesus' Blessed Doctrine Disciple, Ting 
Li Mei." Do you not admire him already? What a 
world of meaning in that simple name ! Like the 
Lord Jesus, whom he serves, his very life reveals the 
message: " My meat is to do the will of him that sent 
me." He has no interest but the interests of the king- 
dom of Christ. He goes from city to city, from vil- 
lage to village, always on " business for the King," 

* Ding Lee May. 



Mission Study — China 43 

and upon his arrival in a city a flag is raised and a 
notice stretched across the street announces the serv- 
ices. The streets are soon thronged with people, 
some eager to hear, some only curious ; but on such 
occasions it is said that incense pots (instruments 
used in idol worship) are emptied and dashed to pieces, 
while idols are thrust into the fire amid the sounds of 
prayer and praise. (Cf. Acts 19:19.) Rev. Ting 
is a modern " Paul " and is truly " on fire for God." 

Perhaps you are wondering what was the secret 
of this man's power. Pastor Ting feeds daily upon 
the " Bread of Life," the Word of God. Twice each 
year he reads the Old Testament. He reads the New 
Testament four times each year, and the Psalms every 
twenty days. " Oh " you say, " does he have any time 
left to preach and teach?" Oh, yes, plenty of time. 
All the work any of us has to do is to prepare to do 
and then, to do, and reading the Bible is a part of 
Pastor Ting's preparation. God always gives people 
time to prepare to do what he asks them to do. When 
we don't have time to do our duty it is because we have 
stepped off the path somewhere and have lost a little 
time in getting back. 

But Ting Li Mei not only listened to God speaking 
to him through his Word; he also talked much to 
God. When asked by some one what were his methods 
in soul-winning, he replied, " I have no method but 
prayer." He spends hours alone each day with the 
Bible and the notebook, in which he has written the 



44 Junior Folks at 

names of hundreds of Christians for whom he prays 
individually every day. He has little time to talk with 
his friends, unless it relates to the work that lies near- 
est his heart. When in company with others it is his 
habit to steal away to a quiet spot where he, alone 
with God, can give himself to prayer in behalf of the 
work of the kingdom. Suppose every Christian, or 
every minister of the Gospel, were thus to give him- 
self to the saving of souls, could not the world soon be 
won for Christ? 

Two experiences in Pastor Ting's early Christian life 
brought him close to God and became turning points 
in his life. They have largely made him the man of 
power that he is today. One was a very ordinary 
experience. It was an act of faith on his part which 
proved that God is as faithful as he has promised to 
be. While Pastor Ting had charge of a congregation 
in Shantung, he became burdened with the pitiful 
condition of the Chinese women, who, it was thought 
by his countrymen, were incapable of learning to read 
or write. He longed that they, too, might be able to 
read the Scriptures, and learn for themselves the way 
of life. Together with another Chinese minister, 
and Miss Vaughn, of the Presbyterian Mission, he 
decided to open a Bible School for women. It was to 
be managed and its expenses paid by the Chinese them- 
selves. A Women's Bible School! What an idea! 
How some of the unbelieving workers scoffed at the 



Mission Study — China 45 

idea ! But these three were not discouraged by the 
doubts of their fellow-workers. 

They formed a prayer circle in behalf of the Bible 
School, and their prayers were wonderfully answered. 
Both students and money came, and the school has been 
a great success. 

The other experience was one in which Ting Li 
Mei learned more of God through suffering. He was 
twenty-eight years old when the bands of wicked Chi- 
nese, called " Boxers/' were planning for their deadly 
work of killing all foreigners and Chinese Christians. 
One day he was suddenly surrounded by a band of 
" Boxers." He was asked, " Are you a Christian ? " 
His firm reply was " Yes ! " Then he was terribly 
beaten. Again he was asked, " Are you a Christian ? " 
" Yes ! " he again replied, and then after another beat- 
ing he was placed in a foul, filthy prison. But he was 
not going to quit because of this. He preached Christ 
to his fellow-prisoners. He was not only beaten and 
imprisoned, but he was half-starved, burned, pinched, 
had needles driven under his finger nails, and was 
strung up by his thumbs. Through all this affliction 
he had no one to call upon but God, and here it was that 
he became thoroughly acquainted with him, to whose 
work he has ever since devoted all his powers. It is 
not the easy, pleasant experiences, but the bitter, try- 
ing things of life that fit us for the Master's use. 



46 Junior Folks at 

" The things that fret and things that mar 
Shape the soul for perfect praise, 
Shock, and strain, and ruin are 
Friendlier than the smiling days." 

Pastor Ting was a " chosen vessel," and only through 
these sufferings for the cause of Christ was he made 
able for the work of soul-winning. Of Mr. Ting Li 
Mei it might truly be said, " He died, and his life is 
hid with Christ in God." 

General Feng Yu Hsiang 

When but a lad, the home of the subject of this 
sketch and all that his parents owned was swept away 
by a flood of the Yellow River in the province of 
Anwhei, China. The family was driven to begging to 
live, and the children had no chance for an education. 
But this one member of the family, Feng, was not will- 
ing to be a beggar, or even a coolie (lowest class of 
workmen), so he decided to join the army. 

While stationed at Paotingfu, where there was a 
Christian mission, he sometimes saw the missionaries 
engaged in conducting services on the street, and he 
would stop to listen for a moment or two, but he never 
seemed deeply touched by their doctrine. But when 
the dreadful Boxer troubles began, and he heard the 
missionaries pleading for their lives, and heard one of 
them beg the Boxers to kill her, and spare the lives of 
the rest, and when he saw the missionaries burned to 
death in their houses, he began to feel that there must 



Mission Study — China 47 

be something in their doctrine worth considering after 
all. 

A little later he was suffering from the effects of a 
bad ulcer, and getting no relief from Chinese doctors, 
he appealed to a missionary doctor for help. In a 
short time he was completely healed, and when he 
asked the doctor about the cost of the treatment, he 
replied, " Nothing ; only I want you to know that God 
in heaven loves you and sent me to heal you." These 
experiences were slowly but surely leading him to the 
light. Later he was made a general and was stationed 
at Peking, where he was converted to the Jesus doc- 
trine. 

After his conversion he was appointed to Pastor 
Liu's class for Bible study, but it is said that 

" Satan trembles when he sees 
The weakest saint upon his knees," 

and he surely must have trembled when he saw Gen. 
Feng take his position in the army of the Lord, for he 
immediately sent him a strong temptation which he 
felt sure would be too much for him. Gen. Feng, upon 
hearing an evil report concerning his brother, became 
very mad and vowed that he would " settle with his 
brother." He went to the Bible class that evening, and 
the lesson text was " Vengeance is mine, I will repay, 
saith the Lord." He was touched and decided to let 
the matter rest. Then, as if to test him to the limit of 
his strength, his brother sent him a challenge to fight. 



48 Junior Folks at 

The devil will never give up. Instead of accepting the 
challenge he sent his brother a present of one hundred 
dollars, which so touched his brother's heart that he 
repented and turned from his evil ways. 

Gen. Feng was still a soldier, but he was now a 
Christian soldier. He did not want to fight or destroy 
life, and by his Christlike spirit and great care he 
avoided fighting, where, if other generals had been in 
command, the ground might have been covered with 
wounded and slain. He now had charge of the North- 
ern army at Zechwan, and during a skirmish between 
his army and the Southern army, by an act of skill on 
his part he placed the Southern army in a position 
where it was entirely at his mercy and it surrendered. 
But it was not his skill that we would praise here so 
much as his treatment of the surrendered army. He 
gave each officer a present of ten dollars, and each 
soldier a present of five dollars, and sent them home. 

Another time, when a Northern army was defeated 
at Changtehfu, Gen. Feng was sent to recapture the 
city. As his army drew near the city he sent a note to 
his enemy, telling him that he had orders to take the 
city and intended to take it, and that he should leave 
it to avoid loss of life. The enemy obeyed promptly, 
and moved south about fifty miles. Since that time 
Gen. Feng has been stationed at Changtehfu. 

Rev. J. J. Go forth,* who held evangelistic services 



*Canadian Presbyterian Mission. 



Mission Study — China 49 

at Gen. Feng's camp, says, " No smoking, no drinking, 
no bad language, is allowed, and the gates are guarded 
so that no one can go in or out after 9 : 00 P. M., with- 
out a permit from the general. " A peep into the bar- 
racks reveals clean beds, Bibles and hymn books 
neatly piled up with their military books, and the sing- 
ing of hymns is as familiar as the sound of the bugle 
in their camp. The general keeps the soldiers supplied 
with religious books, and arranges the drills so that a 
company of men may be in a Bible class every hour 
of the day when Bible teachers can be secured. Nine 
out of every ten of his men are Christians, but they 
are not content to win for the Lord the 9,000 men of 
their army, but form themselves into a band to save 
the people of the district in which they are stationed. 
This is truly Christian warfare, and these are " soldiers 
of the Cross." If all military leaders were like Gen. 
Feng, strife and bloodshed would be driven from the 
land, and if the Holy Spirit, instead of the fighting 
spirit, ruled in the hearts of all soldiers, wars would 
forever cease. 

The simple, childlike faith of these soldiers is 
wonderful. During a season when all prospects of 
crops seemed to be gone, Gen. Feng summoned all the 
people together, and called upon their Buddhist and 
Taoist priests to pray for rain, and in surprise and em- 
barrassment they begged off, whereupon the general 
and his officers prayed to the God of Heaven and soon 
there was a great rain. (Cf. 1 Kings Ch. 17, 18.) 



50 Junior Folks at 

At one time Rev. Go forth baptized 275 of these 
soldiers, and at another time 232, and of these services 
he says, " It seemed to me I had never before taken 
part in a service more impressive, solemn, and wonder- 
ful. " At the close of one of these services he asked 
them if they would slink off quietly and deny their 
Lord in case persecution should break out again, such 
as the Boxer troubles of 1900, and hundreds of voices 
shouted, " Never ! We'll die for him." When the 
general was asked what was the deepest desire of his 
heart, he replied, " My greatest wish before God is 
that every one of my 9,000 men would turn to the 
Lord." This was the earnest desire of a heart that 
less than ten years ago was groping in heathen dark- 
ness, and this is what the religion of Jesus Christ will 
do for all mankind. 

My dear young friend, are you a " beacon light," 
sending your brilliant rays out across the ocean of 
life, or does your light flicker and gleam, causing some 
soul at a critical moment to make a misstep and sink 
into eternal ruin ? " It is said that upon the tablelands 
of Asia Minor, the women may be seen at dawn of 
day going out of doors, and looking up at their neigh- 
bors' chimneys. They would see the one out of which 
the smoke is coming. Thither they go to borrow live 
coals with which to kindle a fire in their own homes. 
Do men watch thus our lives? If in our hearts the 
Holy Ghost has kindled the sacred fire, will they not 
come to us for warmth? How tragic if, turning to 



Mission Study — China 51 

us, they find smokeless chimneys and nothing but dead 
ashes ! " * 

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW 

1. Who is Ting Li Mei, and what is his special work? 

2. What are some of the results of his preaching which 
make you think of Paul? 

3. What do you think is the secret of his power? 

4. What is his method in soul-winning? 

5. What two events in his life helped him to get ac- 
quainted with God? 

6. Tell something about his suffering for Christ's sake. 

7. What events gradually led up to the conversion of 
Feng Yu Hsiang? 

8. What tactics did Satan use to cause him to stumble? 

9. What is remarkable about his character as a soldier? 

10. Tell about his treatment of the surrendered army. 

11. What message did he send to the southern army to 
avoid bloodshed? 

12. Tell about the great spiritual victory of the general 
and his men. 

13. Can you find an event in the Old Testament similar 
to this one? 

14. What do you think is the secret of the general's 
influence over his men? 



*Lambeth: "Winning the World for Christ." 



TAI YMAMPU 




J CHINA MISSION TERRITORY 



N-S-I2O-T0-15O-MIL.E S 

E-W-55-TO- 65 MILES 



J 



CHAPTER VI 

The Development of the Church of the Breth- 
ren Mission, China 

F. H. Crumpacker 

Introduction 

What is a mission? 

A Christian work may be called a mission when one 
or more stations are organized for the purpose of do- 
ing mission work. The work would naturally be sup- 
ported by a Home Board or some other organization. 
These stations may be close together or they may be 
far apart. 

What is a mission station ? 

A mission station is a district with a central city or 
town where the leaders of the work live. These work- 
ers are usually foreigners, but this is not absolutely 
necessary before a place may be a mission station. 
The kinds of work usually carried on by a mission 
station are evangelistic, educational and medical. 
Often a station has but two kinds of work and some- 
times only one. There are usually several out-stations 
connected with a mission station, especially after the 
work has been carried on for some time. 

What is an out-station ? 

This is a city or town that is said to be occupied by 

53 



54 Junior Folks at 

a mission. It may be quite a distance away from the 
mission station, but its work is directed by the mission- 
aries living in the mission. The missionaries rent or 
buy property and locate one or more workers at the 
place. Usually these are Chinese workers, and then 
the leaders of the work make frequent visits to the out- 
station to direct and to encourage the local workers. 

What are the names of the mission stations in our 
China Mission? 

Ping Ting Hsien Station, opened in 1910. Liao 
Hsien Station, opened in 1912. Show Yiang Station, 
opened by us in 1919, but it had been worked by the 
English Baptists for several years. Owing to their 
shortage of workers, they gave this place over to the 
Church of the Brethren Mission. 

I. The Mission's Growth. 
1. In Evangelism. 

Is there more than one way of doing evangelistic 
work? 

There are several ways of working, to be sure ; 
but those most used and found most successful by us, 
thus far, are street preaching, village preaching, col- 
porteur work, use of street chapel and reading room, 
distribution of papers and books in the mail, special 
classes in our own compound, house-to-house teach- 
ing, the regular Sunday-schools and other regular 
Sunday services. As a main support to all of these 
and all of the other services in the mission we have 



Mission Study — China 55 

regular midweek general prayers, and daily prayers 
by the workers. 

How Do You Go About Your Street Preaching? 

This is usually done by two or more workers who 
go out together. After finding a place where there is 
likely to be a large number of people passing by, we 
stand at the side of the road or street and sometimes 
sing or play some kind of an instrument till the people 
begin to come around us and then one of the workers 
commences talking to them. The methods of getting 
started vary with the workers. Some will begin by 
asking questions, and others by relating some incident 
that interests, while the others begin preaching at once. 
But in every event the speaker, if he does his work 
well, will stay at it till he has told the people about 
Christ. We like for them to know why Christ came 
into the world, how he did his work, how the work 
has been carried on since Christ died, how this work 
of Christ should be related to the Chinese life, and 
how it will bear fruit in every life that allows it to 
take hold. 

What Is Village Preaching Like? 

This is done much like street preaching, but is 
usually in a village, when the place is having some sort 
of a theatrical or other kind of a gathering that brings 
the people together, not only from this village itself, 
but also from the surrounding villages. We like to 



56 Junior Folks at 

carry a flag to attract the people, so that they know 
what we are there for even before we begin. 

How Does the Colporteur Work Differ from Village 
Preaching ? 

Colporteur work includes some preaching, but is 
done mostly by distributing tracts and portions of 
Scripture booklets, and maybe other Bible literature. 
One of the best colporteurs the writer ever saw is a 
deaf mute. He sells and distributes a lot of literature. 
This work is best done where crowds come together, 
for then it is that the worker can have his opportunity 
with the least effort. Often a passer will accept a 
tract or buy a booklet and carry to his home, and then 
will either read it or have it read. In this tract he sees 
something that interests him. He finds a Christian 
friend and learns more and often becomes interested 
to the point of returning to his home and village as a 
leader of the new religion. 

How Is the Work Done in the Street Chapels and 
Reading Rooms? 

We have attractive papers and books in these places. 
We keep these rooms comfortably warm, with plenty 
of benches, and at nights have the place well lighted 
and often furnish other things which will attract stu- 
dents and business men. A keeper is there all the 
time, who will help to explain anything that the people 
care to talk about. Also these places have periodical 



Mission Study — China 57 

times for preaching, and each day there is prayer 
service for all who will come. 

Can You Use the Mails to Send Out Your Litera- 
ture? 

This method of evangelism is only in its beginning 
with us, for there are two real barriers. The first is 
because there are so few postoffices and postal routes, 
and the second is because there are so few of the peo- 
ple who can read. However, a beginning has been 
made, and we hope that as these barriers break down 
we can use this method to a better advantage than we 
have in the past. 

How Do You Do Your House-to-House Teaching? 

This is done for both men and women, but the need 
is much greater for the women than the men. The 
women get out of their tiny court yards* so little, and 
thus are very much pinched in intelligence. A worker 
or workers goes into the homes with literature, . and 
when the people come together — largely because of 
curiosity at first — the workers will begin and teach 
them Chinese characters, songs, and Bible stories, and 
do anything they can to break down fear and help the 
listeners to know something of the Christ and the 
Christ love. The people slowly learn to know the 
workers, fear breaks down, superstition breaks up, 
idols fall into disuse, and gradually the people put off 
the old and put on the new. Christ is worshiped. 

*See frontispiece. 



58 Junior Folks at 

How Are Your Classes Taught, and Who Attends? 

This work is carried on separately for men and 
women, and can be done only after fear is broken 
down and the people will come and live for a longer 
or shorter period in the place we have for them. The 
work is done both by Chinese and foreigners. The 
principal part of the teaching is Bible, but sewing is 
taught to the women. For both men and women we 
give a course in sanitation and cleanliness. 

Are Your Sunday-schools Like the Sunday-schools 
in America? 

Yes, very much like those at home, but the teaching 
must be made simple enough for our pupils. Most of 
the pupils are from our own boarding schools, from 
our workers and inquirers and our own church mem- 
bership. 

Our regular Sunday service is more particularly 
given with the idea of teaching and worship rather 
than evangelism, and so is that of the Sunday-schools. 
In our services we have a good many non-Christians, 
but the larger number are from our own membership. 
If we have those who do not come regularly, a special 
effort is made to interest them by social conversation 
after the regular services are finished. 

Are There Other Methods of Evangelism? 

Indeed, there are many other methods, but a couple 
that we have seen tried successfully are those with 
social features, and those of play and athletics. These 




The Boys' School Building at Liao Chou. See the Tracks in the 
Snow Where the Boys Have Been Playing 



Mission Study — China 59 

will reach students and educators when nothing else 
will. 

2. Educational. 

How Do You Do Educational Mission Work? 

It is done much the same as in any school. How- 
ever, we make our main station schools boarding 
schools, so as to have the children under our care about 
all the time. In all of our schools we have Bible and 
industrial courses in addition to the government 
courses. In the girls' boarding schools we also teach 
sewing, cooking, serving meals, washing, ironing, and 
general housekeeping. In the boys' boarding schools 
we also teach weaving, gardening, washing, ironing, 
and the keeping of their rooms clean. Some of the 
boys carry water to earn spending money. 

How Many Children Are in the Mission Schools? 

The first school opened with but three boys present, 
and now we have in the six boarding schools and the 
seven out-station schools about 115 girls and 415 boys. 
At Ping Ting Hsien and Liao Hsien, both the boys' 
and girls' boarding schools have buildings specially 
planned for the work. There are recitation rooms and 
dormitories. The boarding schools at Show Yiang 
are still in Chinese buildings that have been adapted 
for use, but they have about outgrown their quarters. 
All of the out-station schools are using Chinese build- 
ings, which are generally very poorly fitted for school 
purposes. There are four out-station schools in the 



60 Junior Folks at 

Ping Ting Hsien Station and three in the Liao Hsien 
Station. As yet the Show Yiang Station has no out- 
station schools. It is not because they lack opportu- 
nity, but because the workers are too few. 

3. Medical. 

How Does This Help Mission Work? 

It is very beneficial in breaking down barriers. 
Fear and superstition crumble before the work of the 
doctor quicker than any other way. Often it is very 
difficult to get a hearing in a home or a village till 
some one becomes sick in the place and the doctor has 
been called. His going always opens the way for the 
evangelists. The doctors work as a healer helps the 
people to see the love of Christ. Such work of healing 
grips these people. 

Do the People Come to the Hospitals or Do the 
Doctors Go to Their Homes? 

Both methods are used, but many more come to the 
doctors than are seen in their own homes. The doctors 
sometimes see as many as fifty patients in one after- 
noon. 

What Are the Most Common Diseases? 

Skin and eye diseases (caused by filth), consump- 
tion, and opium smoking. This latter may not be a 
disease, and yet to cure it there is required the use of 
medicine and medical help. 




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Mission Study — China 61 

How Do You Treat the Opium Users? 

They are received into the hospital and provided 
with as comfortable a place as we can furnish, and 
then their opium is taken away and they are given 
other medicine instead. They are also taught to be- 
lieve that Jesus wants to help them get rid of this 
disease and the records show that a far greater per- 
centage of those who believe have remained free from 
the habit than those who did not get interested in the 
Gospel. We keep them in the hospital from one to 
two months. 

II. The Growth of the Mission. 

1. Out-stations from the Main Station. 

Since the Ping Ting Hsien Station was the first to 
open, it naturally was first to begin out-station work. 
The first place we opened was Leping, and from the 
beginning we have had located here an evangelist and 
a teacher for the boys' school. This was in 1912. In 
1913 we opened a place at Soa Fang, and from the 
first have had only an evangelist there. We opened 
Kao Lao in 1915, and from the first have had both 
evangelistic and boys' school work; in 1919 a girls' 
school also was opened. In 1916 we began work at 
Luan Liu, and here, too, we have had the two kinds 
of work from the first. In 1919 several girls were ad- 
mitted to the school there. In 1917 we opened at Yu 
Hsien, and the two kinds of work have been carried on 
all the time. We had a flourishing opium refuge there 



62 Junior Folks at 

for a long time. Our latest addition is the Chao Pei 
out-station, opened in 1919. This is supported by the 
Chinese church of the main station at Ping Ting Hsien. 
The Mission Station of Liao Hsien has three out- 
stations, and at each of these they have both evangel- 
istic and boys' school work. At the Show Yiang Sta- 
tion they have one out-station, which to date has only 
evangelistic work. All of these places are our great- 
est feeders to the church. The new members each year 
are more than at the main stations. They furnish 
splendid openings for the beginnings of rural women's 
work. 

2. To Other Main Stations. 

When Did You Open the Main Stations of the 
Mission? 

At Ping Ting Hsien we began work in 1910, and 
had gained but a start when the mission decided to 
open another main station. This was done at Liao in 
1912, and almost from the beginning we have had 
evangelistic, educational and medical work at both 
these stations. The mission did not feel strong enough 
to open another main station till 1919. At that time 
we began work at Show Yiang, and from the very 
beginning the work has shown splendid signs of 
growth. They now have evangelistic work for men 
and women, educational work for both boys and girls, 
and could easily have a flourishing medical work if 
we had a doctor for the place. The missionaries at 




id 
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3 



Mission Study — China 63 

that station do much for the sick who come, even 
though they are not physicians. 

Why Not Open Stations and Out-stations More 
Rapidly ? 

We have not had sufficient workers. The mission- 
aries have been kept busy caring for the work already 
begun and in training the members for usefulness. 
This will be done as our foreign and native forces in- 
crease. 

How Many Communicants Has the Mission Now? 

In all there are about 350 members. There seems 
to be a healthy growth among the membership, and 
the hope of all is that the work will soon become self- 
propagating. 

3. Growth in Numbers of Missionaries. 

Has the Mission Seemed Healthy in the Growth of 
the Number of Foreign Workers? 

You may judge for yourself. The first party of five 
came to China in 1908, one more in 1910, six in 1911, 
seven in 1913, two in 1914, five in 1916, ten in 1917, 
four in 1918, and in 1919 ten were appointed, and 
eight of them reached the field in the same year and 
the other two came in January of 1920. We have had 
a total of fifty, including wives. Of this number one 
man has died, and in that same year, 1913, three work- 
ers returned to the States. In 1919 two of that year's 
party returned home soon after reaching China. 



64 Junior Folks at 

What Is the Size of Your Field? 

The field is about 150 miles long, with an average 
width of forty-rive miles and has about one million 
three hundred thousand people. 

What Is Your Greatest Need on the Field? 

We need an army of Spirit-filled Chinese Christians 
and a steady inflow of workers from the church at 
home. With these we feel that the work could be 
taken care of and healthy expansion could be under- 
taken. 

SUGGESTED BOOKS FOR GENERAL READING 

A Mission in China, W. E. Soothill. Fleming H. Revell, 
New York. 

Mission Problems and Mission Methods in South China, 
J. Campbell Gibson. Fleming H. Revell, New York. 

Reorganization the Hope of Foreign Missions, Rev. 
Hugh W. White. Presbyterian Committee of Publication, 
Richmond, Va. 



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